Magnetic crate loading apparatus with automatic stop at successive levels



Feb. 6, 1951 P. E. FISCHER ETAL 2,540,612

MAGNETIC CRATE LOADING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC. STOP AT succEssIvE LEVELS Filed July 17, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 706-JOG-DOWN MAGNET CONTROL INVENTORS PAUL E. F/JCl-IER EB'QGAB flRDEl-L Feb. 6, 1951 SCHER ETAL 2,540,612

P. E. Fl MAGNETIC CRATE LOADING APPARATUS wm-x AUTOMATIC STOP AT SUCCESSIVE LEVELS Filed July 17, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 J 54 :7 P. v 53 E i J0 I u I 2 2 /19 I0 74 14 y Z l PM l awam Z2 I EDGAR fl/EDE'LL Feb. 6, 1951 P. E. FISCHER ETAL 2,540,612

MAGNETIC CRATE LOADING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC STOP AT SUCCESSIVE LEVELS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 17, 1945 5 M1 m/ 5 m E N65 A 2 m a 0 h m i W MW A P: W; P W

- P. EJFISCHER ETAL 2,540,612 MAGNETIC CRATE LOADING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC STOP AT SUCCESSIVE LEVELS Filed July 17, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 4' Feb. 6, 1951 26 6 III- in! I INVENTORS PAUL L F/JCH R BY EDGAR AIQDELL- T W1 DMICSTWWZW THE/K ATTO RNEYS Feb. 6, 1951 FISCHER ETAL 2,540,612

MAGNETIC CRATE LOADING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC STOP AT SUCCESSIVE LEVELS Filed July 17, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS P404 5. F/Jc'HE/a 5 0542 4190544 FM Dams Wm S Edam-w mm ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1951 P E FISCHER ETAL 2,540,612

MAGNETIC C'RATE LOADING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC STOP AT SUCCESSIVE LEVELS I '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 117, 1945 INVENTORS PAUL E. F/J'CHER EDGAR ARDELL.

BY 'FW, Dwimww'w id/mm a,

LUL ATTO RN EYS 1951 P E. FISCHER ETAL 2 MAGNETIC CRATE LOADING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC STOP AT SUCCESSIVE LEVELS Filed July 17, 1945 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 DOWN IJOG DOWN INVENTORS PAUL E. F/JCHEA: B06A1Q ARDELL.

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LL ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 6, 1951 .MAGNETI'C .CRATE LOADING APPARATUS WITH AUTOMATIC STOP AT SUCCESSIVE LEVELS Paul E. Fischer, Portland, and Edgar Ardell, Middletown, Conn., a'ssignors, by mesne assignments, to Hartford-Empire Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 17, 1945, Serial No. 605,539

6 Claims. (Cl. 226-44) This invention relates to apparatus for handling cans and more particularly to apparatus for loading or filling process or retort crates with filled and-{closed cans, glass vjars or other containers for food or other products.

In processing various food products such, for example, as canned vegetables, it is customary to fill and close the cans and then place them in a large metallic basket or crate which is placed in the cooking or other processing apparatus. Heretofore, in processing cans, it has been customary to. dump the cans into the retort crate in a helter-skelter mass, such apparatus as has heretofore been proposed for arranging the cans in tiers in these crates being undesirable for one reason or another.

The primary object of the present invention is to i'prln idle an improved apparatus for placing cans,-"jars and the like in a retort crate in an orderly arrangement, particularly in a series of superposed tiers or layers.

In carrying out this invention the cans are collected on a suitable tableon which they are arra'ngedin a circular formationin upright po-': sition; The apparatus then magnetically lifts "formation of cans from the collecting table,

carries them over the processing crate and then lowers them into the crate. Accordingly anvdtherobject of the invention is to provide mechanism'jv'vhereb successive lowering movements or excursions of the can-lifting head are stopped automatically at successively difierent heights i fiyth'j crate, corresponding to the successive tiers'or layers of cans.

The invention will be understood from an examination of the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, oneembodiment thereof. In these drawings:

Fig. l is a view of the crate loading apparatus in side elevation;

v Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the lifting and lowering mechanism drawn to an enlarged s'caleye Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of amodified form of lifting head, with parts broken away and shown in section;

. Fig. 6 is a partial vertical section taken on the broken line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the control mecha- V nism shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the mechanism shown in, F 8- 7;

drive a hoist mechanism 9 which has a hoist Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the parts in a slightly different position and with certain parts broken away;

Fig. '10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 with the parts in a still different position;

Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive are diagrammatic views of the control mechanism showing its operation in lowering the lifting head to deposit the first or lowermost tier of cans;

Figs. 14 and 14a are diagrammatic views showing the stopping positions of the tiers; and

Fig. 15 is a diagram ofelectrical connections.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings.

the apparatus is supported on a rigid stationary vertical mast I, which is secured to a base frame structure comprising a pairof horizontal memof a ball step bearing 4 is a horizontal crane arm 5 having at one end a vertically movable magnet lifting head 6, and at its opposite end an electric motor I belted by means of a belt 8 to drum ID on which is wound a hoist cable II.

The right-hand portion of cable II passes over a sheave I2 and is secured at I3 to the lower portion of a vertically sliding bar I4 to which magnet head 6 is permanently fixed at its lower end.

' Bar I4, which is preferably a steel bar having an I-b'eam section, is arranged to slide between two pairs of fixed guide bars I5 and I6 respectively secured at the end of crane arm 5. Friction reducing flanged rollers I! are provided at both the lower and upper ends of guide bars I5 and similar flanged rollers I3 are provided at both ends of guides It, the upper rollers I8 turning on the same supporting shaft as sheave I2.

On account of the uneven surfacesof bar I4 the opposite pairs of rollers I1 and I8 are biased toward one another by helical springs I'la and IBa. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the processing crate,

indicated by numeral I9, into which the cans are to be placed in superposed tiers or layers, is supported on a roller conveyor 20, the bottom of the crate being only a few inches above the floor. Crate I9 is usually constructed of heavy gauge steel and its side walls are perforated in order to allow free passage of the cooking solution. The filled crate may be transported to the cooking retort on conveyor 20 and is provided with a bail ZI to facilitate the handling of. the

lled by means of an overif desired.

ssed, indicated by referought to the loading apveyor 23' (Fig. 2) which rcular collecting table 24 circular rail 25 so that dvanced by conveyor 23 lect on table 24 and form to constitute a single tier The elevation of 001- s "somewhat higher than g the magnetic lifting d lowering it, in a manis hoisted so that the guide rail 25. Then lift- "s suspended from it is otation of crane arm 5 g head over the crate. lowered by the eontr ed to deposit the layer 8 is provided with a tromagnets so designed he field of magnetic flux This is of importance up a layer of cans preate during the last part i the lifting head. His pp'aratus is used for the to unload a processing r instead of loading it. gnets, however, is also intense magnetic flux single tier or layer.

- the magnets of lifting f flexible conductors 26 evices shown in Fig. 15.

:ple, flOl'iI one phase of 'dicated by numeral 28. cted to one pair of the ornagnetic switch which tion of its operating coil f'ng to electror'nagnets 5 'tc'h also has a pair of enable the switch to'b'e oil momentarily closed 'nd 33' respectively. The 32 closes a pair of concoil' 30 of the electro-- circuit may be traced onductors 2? through a 134', thence through conthence through conducly conductor 2?.

onnected to one or" the part of the holding cir 3e energized after push is circuit may be traced ce through conductor 3-8 contacts 3.?" of the off and thence through a r- 35; The operation of this holding circuit and '0 switch toopen the cirhead inwhich perina-- table 24 are picked up,

on, and after the head as to pickup and seh a pair of conductors air of the contacts .23.-

Tliis lifting head ceni- 4 prises a circular supporting plate 44 to which the lower end of hoisting bar Ma is secured by means of two angle plates 52 which are bolted to the upper surface of circular plate 4| and t0 the sides of iio'istingbar Ida. The "lower portion of the web 33 of this I section hoisting bar is provided with a central vertical opening or slot 44 for a purpose which will presently appear.

Permanent magnets 45 are secured to the lower surface of supporting plate 5!. These magnets are channel-shaped in cross section as shown in Fig. 5. Each is fixed to supporting plate 4| by means of a U=b0it at; the central portion of which 7 passes through the'channel of the magnet from end to end, and the legs of which are inserted in holes punched in plate 4! and have nuts threaded (in-their upper ends as shown, for example, at

41. Associated with U-bolts in supporting the magnets are flat springs 48 which are welded or riveted to the lower surface of plate 4 I.

This arrangement forms a yielolabl e mounting for each of the magnets, allowing them to com;

pe'nsate for the uneven upper surface of a layerof cams which may sometimes be caused by the bottoms of certain cans resting on the beads pf adjacent cans. The details of this flexible mountface on the supporting plate.

l"he cans are removed from this permanent magnet type of lifting head by" means of'a stripping mechanism which comprises a stripping member 49', preferably made of cast am and arranged so as to have parts located between all of the numerous magnets" 45', and a circular stripper 50 which extends around the periphery of plate 4t. stripping. members 49; and 50 are arranged to be moved downwardlly together to bring their lower edges below the lower surfaces" of magnets 45 a sufiicient distance to release the" cans from the magnets. v

For this purpose strippingme'mber 49 is supported by two pairs of vertical rods" 5! and 52, the

lower ends of which are threaded into stripper members 49 as shown in Fig. 6. Rods'5l' and 52 pass upwardly through openings in plate 4| and'j also through collars 53 secured to the plate sur-' rounding these openings. Surrounding collars" 53 are helical springs 54 which bear against the under side of washers 55, these washers being held in place by nuts 53 threaded on the upper ends" of rods 52. By this arrangement springs 54 normally hold stripping member 49 in its uppermost position as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

For the purpose of actuating the stripping member to release cans from the magnets 45', an elongated lever 57 having an operating handle 58 at it's right-hand end (Fig; 5) is pivoted'at itsf lower and left-hand end at 59 to a pair of brackets secured to the topof plate4l". Lever 5'! passes through the slot 44 in the web of hoisting bar Ma, previously referred to. Cooperating with leverSl is a second lever 60 which is a double bar structure as may be seen in Fig. 6 with Ieven 51 passing between its twobars. Lever 60 is pivoted at its lower or right-hand end at 6! inb'rackets which are secured to plate 4| diametrically opposite pivot In order to tran mit motion from lever 5? to lever EH1, lever 5 is adapted to engage the upper surface of a pin (ii which is fixed in apertures formed in cars 63 on the lower edges of the two bars forming lever 60, as=showri in Fig. 5.

LeverGU, near its pivot 6| bears upon the inner ends of two oppositely extending stripper actuating levers 64 (Fig. 6). Levers 64 are pivoted at 65 in'brackets adjacent the opposite edges of plate 41. Each lever 64 has a lug 66 on its lower edge adjacent pivot 65 which engages the upper end of one of the vertical rods 51, 52 which-support stripper member 49.

symmetrically arranged with respect to lever -64 on the opposite side of hoisting bar |4a there is a second pair of similar levers 64a, one of which may be seen in Fig. 5 and the other being directly in line with it. These levers are pivoted at 95a to brackets on plate 4| and they engage and actuate the second pair of vertical rods 5Ia, 52a similar to rods 5|, 52. The inner ends of levers 54a are engaged by main stripping lever 51.

i It will be understood from this construction that by depressing lever 5'! the stripping grid 49 will be lowered or depressed so as to force the cans away from magnets 45. A

In order to support stripping ring 50 two parallel horizontal rods 67 and 68 are supported in apertures in the two pairs of levers 64 and 64a. Rods 61 and 68 extend horizontally across and parallel with supporting plate 4| in vertical alignment with supporting rods 52 and 52a, and 5| and 5 la. and hence have the same vertical movement as these rods. Ring stripping member 50 is supported on the outer ends of rods 61 and 59 by means of four slender vertical rods 69 which extend loosely through apertures in horizontal rods 61 and 68 and are threaded at their lower ends into bosses formed on the upper edge of ring 50.

Stripper ring 50 is held at the desired elevation by helical springs H and 12 placed on rods 69 respectively below and above rods 61 and 68.

turned to their normal raised positions by springs H and 54 and by a helical spring 13, the lower end of which may be attached to lever 51, its

upper end being secured to hoisting bar [4a.

The automaticcontrol for lowering the successive layers of cans to successively diiferent heights 7 in the crate to correspond with the several tiers is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, '7 and 8. This mechanism comprises a control shaft 14, the angular.

position of which corresponds always with the elevation of magnet lifting head 6, this shaft having secured thereon a plurality of control fingers, one for each tier of cans to be inserted in the crate. In this instance there are six of these control fingers Fi-FG, inasmuch as the crate l9 holds six layers or tiers of cans. Fingers Fl-F6 are each provided with a split hub which may be clamped on control shaft 14 by means of a clamping screw it. These fingers are set or adjusted on shaft 74 in spaced angular positions (Fig. 8) to correspond with the six layers or tiers of cans.

The automatic control mechanism also includes a ratchet and cam shaft Ti having projecting from its surface a series of six ratchet pins a to j inclusive, and fixed to the rear end of 6 I this shaft as viewed in Figs. 3, 7 and 8 there is a star wheel switch actuating cam 18. Pins a to inclusive are spaced at equal angular positions apart as shown, for example, in Fig. 8 and pin 1 'is in alignment with pin a as shown in Fig. 7.

These six pins are permanently fixed in their positions on shaft 11 and are arranged to rotate in six spaced parallel planes at right angles to shafts Ti and 14. Control fingers Fl-Fii are each provided with lugs '59 to engage and operate the respective pins a to ;f inclusive in. a manner to be described, these control fingers being mounted adjacent one another on control shaft M with their respective lugs 19 rotating in the corresponding planes just referred to of pins a to f inclusive. Shafts 14 and Ti rotate in bearing openings provided in the two spaced steel plates which constitute crane arm 5.

For the purpose of rotating shaft 14 in accordance with the up and down movement of magnet lifting head 6 and hoisting bar M, a large sprocket Si! is fixed upon the front end of shaft 14. Trained around this sprocket is a chain 8|, the lower portion of which passes around a guide roller 82 mounted on a bracket secured to arm 5 adiacent bar l4, and the lower end of the chain is attached to a bracket 83 ,mounted near the lower end of bar l4 adjacent magnet head 6.

The upper portion of chain. 8! passes around a second guide roller 82a mounted vertically above guide roller 82' and the upper end of the chain is attached to a second bracket 83a mounted at the upper end of bar It. A stiff coil spring 9a is inserted between the upper end of chain '85 and bracket 83a to maintain the chain taut underv all conditions. It will be understood. that as bar 14 and magnet head 6 are raised and lowered by hoisting cable I l, sprocket 89 will be correspondingly rotated so that the angular position of sprocket 80, shaft E4, and control fingers Fl-F6 will vary according to the vertical movement of the lifting head.

Star wheel cam 18 actuates a lever 85 pivotally mounted at 86 on crane arm 5 and provided at one end with the usual roller for engaging the edge of the cam. Lever 86 is operatively connected, as for example, by a short link 87, to the arm 88 of a switch 89 having two pairs of contacts 90 and 9| (Fig. 15).

Cam 18 has five lobes separated by five recesses. One of these lobes and recesses corresponds to the two ratchet pins a and which are in alignment with each other. The remaining lobes and recesses correspond respectively with pins 1), c, d and e. Arm 85 is biased towards cam 88 by means of a helical spring 92 shown in Fig. 15 but not visible in the other figures. Switch 99 and contacts 99 and M control the automatic stopping of magnet head 6 0n the lowering movement of the magnet head and hoistin bar M.

The upward movement of the lifting head 6 and hoisting bar I4 is stopped by means of a limit switch 93 (Fig. 3)., having an actuating arm 94 which is engaged by a block 95 adj ustably secured in a slotted vertical bracket 95 attached to the lower end .of' the hoisting bar I4 adjacent bracket 83.

Referring now to the connection diagrams (Fig. 15), current is supplied to hoisting motor I from supply conductors 28 through either of two electromagnetically operated switches, name ly an up switch 9'! having contacts 95 which are closed when operating coil 99 is energized, and a down switch I99 having contacts Hill which are closed when its operating coil it?! is f operating coils 9'9 cans of a push buthe outer end of crane nt to the operator.

h buttons, namely an button [95, and 'a lien up button I04 a circuit from a con In one of the supply r H38 leading to the itch 93, and thence perating coil 99, the is connected to am rs '28. Hence motor t head 6 and hoist- "tto'n I04 is held de- 93 is opened by the its "operating lever ton I a circuit is from conductor Hi1 witch H35, thence contacts 90 of cam through conductors 1 Hi2 of the down site terminal of-this ply conductor 28 to erate to lower hoist ld depressed, or une opened by the r0- end of lever 85 out ent with one of the s 98, stopping motor h prepares a second intg coil 162 of the his circuit is from ductor H3, contacts e contacts of jog to conductor I01. artus in loading the '11s in crate l9 will 1 that each of the e has been adjusted ion on shaft M to yers I to 6 inclusive between the top of a can tier when it head at its highest and 14.

ng into the position 2) and down butdepressed manually g head engages the the operator releassuch contact takes epresses up but- 's hoisted until limit the cans will have clear the top of e opposite direction ally above crate 19 ll, as shown in Figs. at this upper limit Fl and ratchet pin in Figs. 3, 8 and 11. W21 button and 0 lower the tier of ting head 6 moves otated by chain 8| 'e counterclockwise of lifting head 6 d 6 as long as the gamers continues until the tier of cans held by it is near the bottom of the crate but the bottoms of the cans are still out of contact with it. This position is shown in Fig. 9, from which it will be seen that the bottoms of the cans may be fromon'e to two inches from the bottom of the crate. When this point is reached finger Fl will have rotated almost but not quite one complete revolution and, since it rotates in the same plane as ratchet finger w, it will have engaged this finger "and rotated it slightly, moving it from the position shown in Fig. 11 to that shown in Fig. 12-.

This slight rotation of shaft Tl by engagement of finger Fl with pin a will cause the opening of switch contacts 90 (stopping hoist motor I) and the closing of contacts 91 as previously de scribed, preparing the circuit of operating coil 32 of down switch I00 for energization when jog down button 106 is depressed.

By stopping the cans a predetermined distance above the surf-ace at which they are to rest, whether it is the bottom of the crate or the top of a preceding tier, motor I can be operated to lower the cans at maximum speed without fear of damaging them by collision with such surface. The cans are then lowered gently to the position shown in 'Fig. 10 where the bottoms are just out of contact with the bottom of the crateor the top of a preceding tier, whichever it may be.

This second lowering movement of the tier is accomplished by depressing jog dow-nf button 4'56 and holding it depressed while motor 1 lowers magnet lifting head 6 sufiiciently :to cause cam it to rotate Just enough to permit the end of lever to enter recess a of cam 18. This opehs contacts 9i, thereby stopping motor 1 again, and recloses contacts so as to prepare for the energizing of the circuit of operating coil 1 02 through the contacts of down push button switch I05. I V

During this second lowering movement motor *1 never reaches full speed but merely operates enough to produce a down jogging movement of the can tier, say from one to one and three fourths inches, so asto leave the bottoms oi the cans baieely separated from the surface on which they are to rest. The off push button swi'tch 33 is then depressed, thereby ole-energizing the circu i t of the electromagnets within magnet head 6 and allowing the cans of the tier to drop into their final position. 7

The operator thereupon depresses the up button Hi4 and holds it depressed until the empty lifting head 5 has been hoisted to its top position where it will again be arrested by the opening of limit switch 93. The operator the-n swings crane arm 5 to :pick up another tier of cans from the collecting table 2-4 and then repeats the operation just described in lowering this second tier into the crate. With the lifting head 6 in its top position fingers FI-F6 will be in the same angular positions as before. 7

However, ratchet pin a cannot again be actuated by finger Ft as it is still in the position to which it has been moved by this finger during the insertion of the first tier of cans. Ratchet .pinb, however, isnow in the same angular position that pin a formerly occupied and will be engaged by the lug of linger F2 when the second tier been lowered to the stop position where the bottoms of the cans are about two inches above the tops of the first tier of cans already inserted (Fig. 14a). The engagement of finger F 2 with pin 19 will cause a small angular rotation of cam 1-8, thereby forcing the end of lever 85 out paring the circuit of jog down button Hit.

The insertion of the successive tiers is carried on in the same way, the stopping of the last or highesttier being accomplished by finger F which engages ratchet pin 1, which is in alignment with the first ratchet pin a. Thus .the insertion of the six layers of cans will cause shaft 1] torotate somewhat more than one complete revolution. Consequently before the loading of a second crate is commenced, it is necessary to turnshaftl'l by hand until pin a is reset in its initial angular position as shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 11. cam 18 with the fingers and turning it backwards one notch, that is, until the end of lever 84 rests in the preceding recess. When the crate I9 is to receive 'five layers instead of six, this resetting operation is unnecessary.

It will be understood that the automatic control mechanism can be adjusted for the handling of different numbers of tiers by adjusting the angular positions of the fingers FI-FB inclusive. Also, by changing the angular positions of these fingers the apparatus can be adjusted to handle cans of different heights, since the angular displacement between adjacent fingers corresponds with the heights of the can tiers. Furthermore, by changing the angular position of finger Fl the clearance between the bottoms of the cans when the lifting head is at the top of its movement, and the top of crate 19 can be adjusted. Thus, when handling short cans block 95 which actuates the up limit switch 93 can be adjusted on its supporting bracket 96 so that the upward travel of lifting head 6 will not have to be as great as when handling tall cans, and finger Fl can be adjusted accordingly to correspond with the changed clearance distance.

Throughout this specification and in the claims it will be understood that the term cans includes not only metallic cans, but also jars or other containers of non-magnetic material having tops constructed, at least in part, of magnetizable material.

It will be understood that numerous changes in the construction and arrangement of the apparatus can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a crate loading apparatus, a lifting head constructed and arranged to lift a group of articles comprising a tier to be placed in an open top crate, means for supporting said lifting head for vertical movement into said crate through the top thereof, power operated means for lowering said lifting head, and a control device for said power operated means manually actuated to start the lowering of said head, said control device being automatically actuated to stop said head a predetermined distance above the final position'of said tier in the crate, said control device also being manuallyactuable to cause the further lowering of said head and automatically actuated to stop said further movement.

2. In apparatus for loading open top crates with superposed tiers of articles, a lifting head constructed and arranged to lift a group of articles comprising a tier, means for supporting said lifting head for vertical movement into said crate through the top thereof to introduce said tier in the crate, power operated means for lower- This may be accomplished by grasping onto the next lobe, thus ing said lifting head, and a control device for said power operated means, said device operating automatically to stop'successive tier-introducing movements of said head at successively increased heights above the bottom of said crate thus automatically to superpose the respective tiers therein, and means for releasing said articles from the lifting head.

3. In apparatus for loading open top crates with superposed tiers of articles, a lifting head constructed and arranged to lift a group of articles comprising a tier, means for supporting said lifting head for vertical movement into said crate through the top thereof to introduce said tier in the crate, power operated means for lowering said lifting head, and a control device for said-power operated means, said device operating automatically to stop successive tier-introducing movements of said head at successively increased heights above the bottom of said crate, said control device including mechanism for further lowering said head at the end of each of said successive tier-introducing movements to a predetermined elevation above the final tier position in the crate.

i. In apparatus for loading open top crates with superposed tiers of articles, a lifting head adapted to lift a group of articles comprising a tier, means for supporting said lifting head for vertical movement into said crate through the top thereof to place said tier in the crate, means including an electric motor for lowering said lifting head, and means operated automatically 'to stop successive lowering movements of said head at successively increased heights abovethe bottom of said crate comprising a switch to control the circuit of said motor, a star wheel cam, a lever actuated thereby to open said switch, and ratchet means operated by the movement of said lifting head to turn said cam one step at each lowering movement of said head.

5. In apparatus for loading open top crates with superposed tiers of articles, a lifting head adapted to lift a group of articles comprising a tier, means for supporting said lifting head for vertical movement into saiid crate through the top thereof to place said tier in the crate, means including an electric motor for lowering said lifting head, and means operated automatically to stop successive lowering movements of said head at successively increased heights above the bottom of said crate comprising a switch in the circuit of said motor, a star wheel cam operatively associated with said switch to open the same and stop the motor a plurality of times during each revolution of said cam, a cam shaft for said cam, a plurality of ratchet pins projecting from said shaft and spaced both laterally and angularly thereon, a control shaft disposed parallel with and in. proximity to said cam shaft, a plurality of control fingers secured to said control shaft to cooperate individually and respectively with said ratchet pins, and means for rotating said control shaft in timed relation to the vertical movement of said lifting head to cause one of said control fingers to engage a ratchet pin and rotate said cam shaft one step for each lowering movement erated. automatically movements of said ed heights above the sing a switch. to con.- or to stop and start ated switch also. for aid motor. means to witch and simultaneb said manually 0pssive lowering movedetermined elevation n, said means bein tor switch a second id manually o erated UL E. FISCHER. GAR ARDELL.

12 REFERENCES 01mm The following references are'of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTs Number Name Date 1,443,157 Wild V V Jan. 23, 1923 1,513,436 Volz Oct. 28, 1924, 1,612,444 Kimball et a1. Dec. 28, 1926 1,793,595 Douglass Feb. 14, 1931 2,206,279 Ferguson July 2, 1940 2,220,561 Ward Nov. 5, 1940 2,253,283 Minaker Aug. 19, 194:1 2,3841? 9 Knies Sept. 4, 1945 

